Open AccessImmunological markers of childhood fevers in an area of intense and perennial malaria transmission
Author(s) -
HURT N.,
THEIN M.,
SMITH T.,
BORDMANN G.,
GALLATI H.,
DREES N.,
TANNER M.,
WEISS N.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1995.tb03604.x
Subject(s) - malaria , immunology , biology , immune system , medicine
SUMMARY In order to describe presumed paediatric malaria on a cell‐immunological basis, the soluble receptors of IL‐2 (sIL‐2R) and tumour necrosis factor (sTNF‐R55 and sTNF‐R75) were quantified in highly exposed young Tanzanian children. Sera were obtained from 66 acute and 72 reported febrile patients during health post consultations and follow‐ups and from 68 community controls. Levels of sIL‐2R, sTNF‐R55 and sTNF‐R75 were significantly elevated during fever attacks, especially in very young children. Soluble TNF‐R75 levels were most stable and those of sTNF‐R55 least. Levels of sTNF‐R55 were related to the magnitude of fever and thus appeared to reflect attack severity. Levels of sTNF‐R75 were highly significantly associated with parasite density, indicating that this response is malaria‐specific. The present study indicates that sTNF‐R75 levels could become a useful immunological tool in malaria intervention studies, as they reflect changes in malaria‐specific immune responses. Future studies should validate this potential in different endemic settings.